The Protector
by I Am Number 7
Summary: The world is engulfed in war, and the Avatar hasn't been seen in a hundred years. When he is finally found, Aang gets into trouble, and Auna may be the only one who can save him. Friendship: Aang and OC. Possible Romance: Zuko and OC...maybe. Just maybe.
1. Prologue: Remembering

**A/N: Okay, this is my first post on this site...and my first fanfic! Wooooo Marching Band~! This is mostly for my best friend, Cypherphoenix. :) I'll try to update as much as possible.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender...although I really wish I did. Because that would be awesome.**

* * *

If one just watched the children, they'd think the Fire Nation was completely harmless. The kids would laugh and play, just like in any other tribe. They weren't evil; they were human. But, as in every kingdom and nation, there are exceptions. Azula was ours.

Azula controlled others using fear. Even her "friends" were scared of her. She was so demanding of everyone around her, including her brother, Zuko. But, that can be expected of the crowned princess of the fire nation. There was only one person who was never afraid of Azula, and her name was Auna.

Auna was a mystery. No one knew much about her life outside of the Palace. Everyone thought she was just some girl from the colonies and that her uncle, Hairo (who was the Fire Lord's business advisor at the time), brought to the fire nation for the experience.

She was quiet, yet defiant. She pushed the limits as far as they would go, without crossing the line. Although she wasn't a people person, she was well-liked by the majority. Little did they know she was keeping several secrets that could change the world as they know it.

Every day was the same; there was an overall schedule that was keeping time together. Things were normal, and yet somehow different. Auna smiled to herself. Life was just getting better and better. Today, the firebenders in training would have practice Ag-Ni-Kais. It would be her chance to prove to herself she could control fire as well as earth.

* * *

_Almost the entire class had had their match, and Zuko, Azula and I were the only ones left; Lee had won the previous match, and the one before that. He turned around, a triumphant smile on his face._

"_I challenge Zuko," he said._

_With that Zuko jumped up to face Lee in a crouching ready position. The two of them battled it out for a while, and then Zuko pinned Lee down, a ball of fire in his hand. Zuko stood, and then helped Lee get to his feet. Zuko then looked at me, a hidden smile haunting his face._

"_I challenge Auna. Maybe I'll be able to win this time."_

_I stood, ready to claim victory. As I got grounded in my stance, I smirked at Zuko, knowing how easy it would be to win. I decided that I was going to have some fun, though. Our Ag-Ni-Kai consisted of Zuko throwing a bunch of fireballs, and me jumping and flipping over his shoulders. I was having a blast (no pun intended), because I knew every move he was about to make. Sometimes, being an earthbender and a firebender came in handy._

_I finally found it in myself to put an end to this glorious game of Chase the Undercover Half-Breed. I leaped out at Zuko, kicking my leg at his face, and he stumbled back when the side of my foot hit his jaw line. When he fell to the ground, I pinned his legs with my knees, and his arms with my hands. I looked down to search his face for any sign of anger, but all I saw was him smiling up at me, eyes twinkling with amusement. I smiled back, but only barely. When I glanced up, I noticed that our practice duel had attracted an audience, which included my father, Hairo, and Fire Lord Ozai. No one in the Fire Nation knew Hairo was my father._

_I bounced to my feet, and faced my next opponent. Azula stood as well, smirking._

"_Although it's completely obvious, I challenge Azula."_

_As the two of us readied ourselves, fire burned in Azula's eyes. She wanted to win. I admit now that I was nervous about fighting her. I might have been better at hand to hand combat, but she was a better bender. Even so, we both knew I wasn't going down without a fight._

_We circled each other for a minute, and I realized Azula was waiting for me to strike. She was challenging not only my abilities, but my intellect as well. I closed my eyes after irritatingly rolling them and took a deep breath through my nose. I tried to put all of my concentration into the fire I had inside me. With every last drop of focus I could muster, I let the fire flow from my heart to my hand, hoping it wouldn't go out of control._

_But it did._

_I grimaced inwardly as the flames I had released grew to a dangerous size, causing the rest of the class to either cry out in bewilderment or crawl back to a safe distance. I grunted in frustration. This is all fire was…wild…destructive…angry…_

_While I was distracted with my shame and hatred of fire, Azula jumped far to the right and threw fire at me simultaneously, a small, but noticeably smug smile on her lips. I ducked, then leapt toward her to sweep my foot out so I could knock her down._

_She did exactly as I had planned; hooking the back of her foot around my ankle and pulling her leg in, she made me lose my balance. She was about to take the win, but I grabbed her wrist while pulling my leg back. In effect, Azula lost her footing and landed on the ground with a grunt and a startled expression that quickly gave way to rage. I extended my right fist out, stopping just short of Azula's nose._

_No one dared say a thing. Azula had lost, and to a bender from the colonies, no less. I dropped her wrist and stepped away to sit with the rest of the class while she fumed. I found myself looking at my shoes. I felt as though I was being watched, and my eyes wandered up to find Fire Lord Ozai staring at me. He looked shocked and amazed at the same time. I could see Azula glaring at me out of the corner of my eye, and it actually made me feel uncomfortable. As the mask I had been perfecting my entire life solidified on my face, I stood and tugged at my father's sleeve, asking him if we could go._

_As we walked away, I peeked back over my shoulder. All but Princess Azula was watching us leave, respect plastered on their faces. Even though Azula hated me, Prince Zuko was a good friend of mine. He was the exception in my socially challenged life. My eyes rested on his face. He was grinning at me and waving goodbye. That was the last time I ever saw him._

* * *

When I opened my eyes, the color of the sky was a light periwinkle. I shifted to my side to make sure there weren't any more burning embers in the fire pit. I sighed as I propped myself up on my elbows. I could feel the dirt that caked my cheeks, and the clothes I had on were a mess.

_I have been on my own now for seven years, _I thought.

_Seven years._

_Seven years ago, my parents were killed._

I felt the anger rise up inside me, and I sat up to hug my knees to my chest before I could do anything stupid. I clenched my eyes shut, and balled my hands into tight fists. The anger subsided, only to be replaced by guilt and sadness. I could almost feel the warm liquid spill down my face, but I was not about to let myself cry. I attempted to control my breathing and choked back the silent sobs, and after a few moments, I regained my composure. I looked towards the sky, searching for answers, signs, hints…anything.

_Seven years ago, I found out my destiny, and all from a burn on the back of my neck_ I thought. _That was so lovely, thanks for that, by the way_, I sneered at the heavens, hoping the Spirit World would hear my message.

I dropped my gaze and laid one hand on the medallion I wore around my neck.

_I am the protector of the only hope for the world. Now all I've got to do is find him._

_Spirits, I hate my life._

* * *

The young woman let out a heavy sigh before standing, one hand still on the ornament upon her neck. With her free hand she pulled her long, thick, wavy black hair over her shoulder so she could rub her neck.

At the base of her neck, there is a scar. The mark is small, but visible. If one were close enough, he could see that the marking looked incredibly similar to the symbol of the Air Nomads.

This mark was the one thing that outwardly determined the Protector of the Avatar-a protector who wasn't ever needed until now.

* * *

**A/N: Eh? Ehhhhh~? Maybe? Kinda sorta?**


	2. Lost, Then Found

**A/N: Dun-du-du-duuuuuuunnnnnnnnn! And the new chapter is up! This is a part of my belated birthday present for my best friend. :) Happy Belated Birthdayyyy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender, and that is a thought that makes me incredibly sad. Because I would love to own Avatar.**

* * *

I fell to my hands and knees, resting my forehead against the cool earth. My breathing came in large, ragged pants, and sweat flowed freely off my face. When night first came, I couldn't sleep, but now I was physically spent after four hours of continuous combat training, and the boulder I had been using as a target no longer existed.

_I guess I still got it, huh, Lu?_

After a long moment, my breathing regulated and I collapsed to my side, rolling onto my back. The night sky was beginning to fade into dawn as the sun began its habitual rise, greeting the new day.

"Happy birthday to you." My voice was hoarse, and barely above a whisper, but the melody of the song wasn't lost in its low volume, even with its sarcastic tone.

_I'm seventeen years old today, _I thought,_ and I only feel anger, guilt, and confusion._ My stomach gave a large grumble in protest. _And hunger, apparently._

I sat up, pulling my knees to my chest, and wrapped my arms around my legs. I propped my chin up on top of my knees and kept my eyes on the horizon. The twinkling stars of the night were disappearing from view as the tip of the sun peaked out over the skyline. The sound of the ocean reached me, and my ears perked back. I released an irritated sigh.

I was desperately trying to find answers, but I didn't know who to turn to. Then my thoughts landed on the Spirits.

_They would know what to do; they would be able to help me…right? I guess there's no harm in asking, but how am I supposed to talk to them?_

Feeling like the biggest fool in the world, I stood, though my muscles screamed in protest. My eyes swept the skies, now a soft light blue. My mouth twisted in concentration as I tried to figure out exactly what I wanted to say.

"I don't know where to go from here," I called out.

"Seven years ago, you chose me, a ten year old _child_ to do your bidding, and I accepted. But I don't even know if the Avatar still exists! He disappeared a hundred years ago, and no one has heard or seen him since! How the hell do you expect me to find him?"

My hands clenched into fists, and I heard scattered pebbles start to vibrate against the solid ground. My heart began beating faster as my temperature began to rise to a dangerous level. I let out my anxiety through the frantic rant, a tone of accusation and rage searing my voice as I roared at the heavens.

"When he vanished, the world was plunged into war. He abandoned everyone in their time of need. Why should he be protected? If he decided to disappear on his own, he can reappear on his own just as fast, right? I mean, he's _supposed_ to be the Avatar, the most powerful person in the world!"

I stopped, surprised. I slid my gaze to the ground, slightly ashamed by what I had just said. I had disrespected the Avatar, and the one I was chosen to protect, no less. I groaned, and my knees buckled. I gave way to the guilt, and dropped to my knees. My body leaned forward, and I caught myself with my hands. I had to fight to keep my eyelids parted, and my arms started to shake.

"I'm…sorry, and I actually mean it this time. I understand. One person can't ever hold that burden alone. Someone has to be there to support the Avatar while he supports the world. I just don't know if I can find him without your help. Please, send me a sign."

Then I succumbed to exhaustion, and sleep overtook me; it was far from dreamless, though. I saw bright colors, and faces flashed behind my eyes. I saw a young man with big blue eyes, and dark brown hair pulled back into a small ponytail. Then there was a girl with the same blue eyes and the same dark hair, although it was longer and set into a single braid with two locks separated from the rest. There was also a boy, younger than the other two, who wore a large smile and had grey eyes. He was completely bald, but on his forehead was a tattoo in the shape of an arrow. Then I saw another boy, but he was older than the other faces I had already seen. He was also extremely familiar. He had no hair on his head, save a long black ponytail, and his anger-filled eyes were gold. On the left side of his face, though, he possessed a frightening scar that covered his left eye, upper cheekbone and ear.

After the faces, I saw shacks and small wooden buildings. An image of the statue of Avatar Kyoshi flooded my vision. It looked as if someone had recently repainted it, making it seem new again. After that, all I could make out were flames. I could smell burning wood, and I felt soot in my nose. It so vivid and real, I tried to scream, but nothing left my throat. I thrashed my limbs violently to get myself to wake, and I succeeded in doing so. My eyes burst open, and I was thankful to be awake. I gulped at the air greedily, feeding oxygen to my brain so I could think about the visions that had filled my sleep.

_The four faces, they're important somehow. Maybe they'll help me find the Avatar. And the shacks must mean a village…and the fire must mean something bad will happen. But the statue of Kyoshi…_

I pondered my dream for a while, and then came to a conclusion. I had to go to Kyoshi Island. I looked towards the heavens once more, noting that it was about mid-day.

"Okay, Spirits, I can take a hint. Kyoshi Island it is. I just hope you were right in choosing me." I stood, facing a path that led to a local village, hopefully home to a few boats.

"By the way, would you mind telling my parents I love them? I want them to know that I haven't forgotten…I still have the necklace they gave me. Tell them I'll make sure they didn't die for nothing."

* * *

_Breathe in, breathe out, _I kept telling myself.

_I hate boats. I hate my life. So, so much. Why am I doing this? Oh, yeah. To find the Avatar. Once I get my hands on this guy-_

My thoughts were interrupted when the boat took a sharp turn towards the island. My stomach heaved, and it took everything I had not to vomit. I cupped my hands under the pendant around my neck and rubbed the smooth edges with my thumbs for comfort. It was the necklace my mother and father had given me on my tenth birthday. It was a Yin-Yang medallion, and it was painted the four colors of the nation. On one side, bright red began in the tail, and faded into white, while the opposite side started out a deep blue that slowly morphed into green. It was made out of clay, and glazed by a slow fire. It represented my family, and it represented the world. When my parents gave me the necklace, they smiled and told me that as long as I had the necklace, I had them, too. But now they're gone, and no one can bring them back, not even the Avatar.

My memories were disrupted by the sudden halt of the ship. I brought myself upright as a man called out saying we had reached our destination. I waved my thanks to the captain as I passed him, and then jumped over the edged of the boat and landed lightly on the shore, thankful to feel the earth under my feet. I took one step toward the village at the heart of the island, but I froze when I heard yelling on the other side of the rocks at the shore.

"I'm sure it'll be here any second! Ummm, what about this?"

_Oh my Avatar…that voice is the single most annoying voice to ever grace my ears. _My nose scrunched up in annoyance, but I climbed the rocks to see what was going on anyway.

"Where are you going? Don't leave!" The same, child-like voice yelled out again.

"Sorry, Aang. Maybe next time!" A new voice called out this time, sounding even younger than the first. I peeked my head over the tip of the rock, and then gasped. There was a boy in the water...a boy with grey eyes, no hair and a strange tattoo of an arrow on his forehead. He was one of the faces from my vision. I groaned aloud.

_No, oh, no. Spirits, you have _got_ to be kidding me! I'm happy about the vision and all, but seriously. Do I have to talk to this kid? My ears are threatening to bleed!_

I swung my leg over to the other side of the rock, and slid down the face of the boulder, landing right in front of a small group of little girls. They're eyes widened at my unique entrance.

"Excuse me, but who is that kid in the water?" I pointed out to where this 'Aang' child still floated, now smiling. I glanced to where his eyes rested, and found another girl. She was older than the group in front of me, and I realized she was also from my dream.

"That's Aang. He's the Avatar," one of the girls piped up, wrenching me from my thoughts. Satisfied with their answer, they all skipped along back to the village, leaving me to gape at the child in the water.

_He's the Avatar? Him? The Avatar is supposed to be ancient, this is just a kid! And he sounds so annoying! Whyyyyyyy? _I cursed at Spirits inside my mind, and then mentally kicked myself for being ungrateful for their wise visions.

My eyes wandered back over to the girl that was calling out to him. She wasn't much older than Aang. He started swimming back to shore, but something else caught my eye. A large, dark figure was following close behind the Avatar.

Unexpectedly, a black and grey serpent had lifted Aang above the sea and then violently shot water at him. I searched frantically for nearby supplies or anything that would help.

_So, this is why an Avatar needs a Protector. Well, it would sure help if I knew what I was doing!_

Aang was now holding on for dear life to the terrible serpent, while being thrashed around. His hands slipped, and he was sent flying. He landed in the water with a stomach-turning smack, and when he floated to the surface, he wasn't conscious. The girl yelled his name and then waded into the water, but the serpent was making a fast return. I stood on the shore feeling helpless, my mind completely failing to think of a plan.

_What are you doing? You're Aang's protector! Protect him already,_ I screamed at myself.

I slid my feet out in a wide stance, but maintained my balance. My hands became fists, and I tried to search the earth ahead of me. I felt a huge mass at the bottom of the shallow end, a few feet from where Aang was floating. When I found it, the girl had reached him, and the serpent's head flew into open air. I thrust my fists into the air, feeling the weight of the earth push against my direction. Within seconds, Aang and the girl were being pushed back by a strong force of water. The serpent dived after them, but it smashed its face into the large bulk of earth that I had heaved just below the surface.

I ran towards the village as the serpent violently sprayed more water in the spots he thought the two had gone. The initial surprise of learning the girl was a waterbender was still etched onto my face, but I knew I could leave them be for now. Aang was with a waterbender. He would be safe enough.

Upon reaching the village, I found a small group of people in panic. I rushed towards them, eager to hear any news.

"The fire nation! Here, on Kyoshi Island! This can't be good," cried out one woman. My eyes widened, and I pivoted around, sprinting towards another small building. Inside were two warriors. Upon closer examination, though, I found one of them to have blue eyes…the same blue eyes the waterbender had! The blue-eyed warrior also had a small, dark haired ponytail. He was definitely one of the boys from my vision.

_Why is this guy wearing make up? And why is he wearing a dress? _My nose wrinkled in confusion as questions swarmed my mind.

_There are some things in this world that I will never understand, _I said to myself, sighing and shaking my head lightly. A man with big grey hair, a mustache and a bushy beard ran past me towards the entrance.

"Firebenders have landed on our shores. Girls, come quickly!" He and one of the warriors left in a hurry, while the blue-eyed one hesitated.

"Hey, I'm not a…oh, whatever!" A flying-monkey-rat-thing I had never seen before bounced off his shoulder, and I shoved aside my disbelief for later. The cross dresser ran to catch up with them, and I did the same, smirking to myself at how much of an idiot this guy was. Upon stealthily reaching the entrance of the village, we were greeted by the sight of firebenders on rhinos.

"Come out, Avatar! You can't hide from me forever." There was an obvious leader. His voice was so familiar, like I had heard it in a dream. Through his helmet, I could see his gold eyes, and a dark scar that covered the left side of his face. He was also from the vision the Spirits had granted me.

_Well, _he_ doesn't look like a good guy…_I mused sardonically.

The rhinos had begun searching for Aang, but they were going to meet heavy protest from me. Before I could even sink into my earthbending stance, though, the Kyoshi Warriors knocked out four men. These girls, with fans and painted faces, were taking down fire nation soldiers. I couldn't help but stand in awe. They then tackled the leader, the blue-eyed cross dresser among them. But, this firebender wasn't going down without a fight. He swung his legs around in a circular motion and bended fire in all directions, causing each warrior to go flying. He stepped over the fallen soldiers and walked to the middle of the street.

"Nice try, Avatar, but these little girls can't save you."

"Hey, over here," another voice called out to the arrogant firebender. I looked past the scarred boy's shoulder to see Aang, holding his staff out proudly, just like an Avatar should.

I almost laughed, though. This enemy was obviously a trained firebender, and Aang was just a kid. He managed to dodge every burst of fire thrown at him, though, and he then picked up two fans, and bended air with so much force, the firebender crashed into the building behind him, and disappeared into a black cloud.

_Whoa…mother of Aang…_ I was immediately humbled by the Avatar's power. It was unlike anything I've ever seen.

Aang picked up his staff, and just like that, he was flying. My gaze wandered back to the rest of the village, and I saw the flames consume the shacks, just as in my vision. I ran towards the safe haven near the back of the town. As soon as I got there, I saw Aang land, and the waterbender was just outside the door.

"Look what I brought to this place," he said solemnly.

"It's not your fault," she reassured him.

"Yes, it is," he insisted. "These people got their town destroyed trying protect me." The guilt was clear in his voice.

"Then let's get out of here. Zuko will leave Kyoshi to follow us," she told him.

I stopped abruptly in my tracks.

_Zuko did all of this? He's the one with the scar? No, it can't be…_But it was. Zuko, my childhood friend, was now my enemy. He was trying to hurt the one person that I was meant to protect, and I couldn't allow him to do so. I tried to ignore the ache in my heart.

_Oh, come on. What did you expect? _I asked myself, fuming. _He's FIRE NATION. Of course he's the enemy. And you're stupid if you believe otherwise._ I paused and audibly sighed. _Only one thing to do now. Follow. Hmm…tough decisions. Aang, or Zuko? Aang, or Zuko?_

I looked back to where Aang and his friend were to see them climbing onto a large heap of fur with eyes and horns. My jaw dropped. I had always thought that flying bison were extinct, a long-forgotten legend, just like the air nomads. But, since Aang was an airbender, it _must_ have been possible.

My line of sight followed the firebenders, all of them now sharing one rhino. I eyed their trail, and saw that it led to a metal army ship.

_For the love of Aang, why so many boats?_ I knew I had to make my decision then. I had an internal debate, looking back and forth between bison and boat.

_Flying bison, boat. Flying bison, boat. Flying bison…_I watched Aang cried out "Yip yip!" and then the great beast heaved itself into the air. _OH DEAR AVATAR, I'M GOING TO THE BOAT, I'M GOING TO THE BOAT!_ I almost fell flat on my face as I ran towards the Fire Nation ship like a madman.

Then it began to pour. Surprised, I looked up. Aang was on the serpent, forcing it to spray water onto the towns burning shacks. He might not have known it yet, and even though he had the most irritating voice, he was already a great Avatar.

I diverted my attention back to the firebenders, who were all now sharing one rhino. A small smirk twisted my mouth. They deserved to get soaked.

Zuko did not look happy in the slightest.

_Sorry, princess,_ I thought wryly, turning my attention back to the water.

I groaned inwardly as I eyed their ship. I hid in a patch of trees while the benders climbed into their ship, and then I jumped on at the last second. I made my way through the boat, finding a small compartment for storage. I crawled in and tried to make myself as comfortable as the tiny space would allow me to be. I was going to be here for a while if I was to keep Zuko in line.

I sighed, and closed my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose.

_How could you do this Zuko? Aren't you the same person I became friends with?_ I pictured the scarred face of the firebender that tried to hurt Aang just minutes ago. No, Zuko was different now. He had changed, and not for the better. I dropped my hand from my face and let out another long sigh.

_No matter what happens, Aang, I will protect you. No matter how much it hurts me, or those I love, I will do what it takes to make sure you're safe. Even if you kill my hearing if you ever dare speak again._

I made that promise to myself as well as the Avatar. I would protect him from everyone, including Zuko. Even if he used to be my best friend, he was no longer the boy I once knew and loved.

* * *

**A/N: Ahahaha I love Auna's hatred for Aang's voice. It makes me smile.**

**Big thanks to all who added my story to their favorites/alerts, and the three readers who wrote the reviews. Keep 'em comin'! ;)**


	3. The Past is Haunting

**A/N: It has been SO LONG. And I am SO SORRY.**

**I'm finally getting back into the swing of writing, so hopefully I'll get a couple more chapters done before I go completely off the radar again.**

**Anywho, please enjoy this next chapter. It's extremely long and filled with sappy Auna memories, just for you guys. Have fun.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. You would know if I did because we wouldn't be questioning whether Jet died or not. It would have been so clear.**

* * *

_Shadows and radiant colors danced in front of my eyes. Ever so slowly, they morphed into a strangely familiar silhouette. Its face was enclosed in darkness, making it impossible for me to see who it was. Foreign words dripped out of its mouth in a low, distinctly male voice, sliding into my ears. His figure was moving closer, closing the gap between us._

_My conscious mind was screaming, telling me to run, to fear this man. But I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. It was like I was trapped in my own head, buried alive for all to see. I began to panic, fighting against my paralytic state, willing my muscles to move._

_As I struggled, the silhouette began to fade, blurring in front of my vision. The last thing I saw of him was the pendent around his neck._

_Not just any pendent._

_MY pendent._

* * *

I woke in a cold sweat, panting as though I had just run a hundred miles. My throat was parched, and my lips dry and cracked. I sat up, trying to slow my breaths. Nausea, though, immediately took over my senses.

_Spirits! Can I not go one moment without torment?_ I thought, irritated. I was so close to giving in to the waves of distress coming over my stomach, but I didn't think the Fire Nation crew would be particularly happy about cleaning the mess, nor kind to the sick girl hiding in their storage compartment; especially if they found out exactly why that girl was on their ship in the first place.

I tried to keep my mind on other things, as I looked around the room. After hours of staying in that cramped closet of a storage space, I daringly snuck through the ship to the holding area for the smaller vessels. And since then, I was patiently waiting for any opportunity to thwart Zuko's plans and keep my Avatar safe.

_For the love of Aang, now I sound like an overbearing, jealous girlfriend_, I bitterly realized.

My head was filled with questions, faces, plans, old and nearly forgotten memories…I was beginning to think my mind would never rest, until eventually, my thoughts settled on Zuko. Would he call my name if he were to see me? Did he miss me as much as I missed him? Did he even remember who I was?

I wasn't sure how long I thought of the fire prince, or how long I pictured is scarred and hate-filled face, comparing it to the one I knew as a child; the carefree, loving, and shy expression of Zuko's youth. Only when I noticed that my stomach was calm did I banish him from my mind. I could no longer hear the waves of the ocean crashing against the sides of the metal beast the Fire Nation called a ship. We had stopped.

This was the first time we had stopped since Kyoshi Island. How long had we been traveling? Days? Weeks? I had lost track of time, as the hours melted together in the darkness of hiding.

I heard the scraping and clanking sound of metal against metal- more specifically, metal armor against floor of metal ship. I slowly made my way from behind one of the vessels, and crept my way to the door. After the sounds faded into the distance, I counted my breaths, reaching a hundred before daring to peek out.

There was no one in sight.

Sticking close to the shadows by the walls, I silently made my way to the deck. Keeping low to the floor, I searched for the soldiers, ready for an attack at any given moment. When I saw there were no others on the deck, I crawled over the railing, raising my head ever so slightly. What I saw made one side of my mouth curve upwards in a smug and almost evil smirk.

_Searching on land now, Zuko? You're in my territory now, princess_, I thought as I pitched myself over the edge, landing on all fours, feeling more like a deadly predator than I probably should have.

* * *

_This is so stupid_, I concluded for the millionth time that day.

I was spending the whole stupid day following those stupid rhinos, in that stupid forest, hating that stupid Fire Nation prince who acted more like a stupid pompous princess than anything else. All this stupidity had reduced my stupid vocabulary to one stupid word: Stupid.

And for what?

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

Sure, it felt incredible to be outside, on solid ground, on solid _Earth_ once again. But I was so anxious for adventure, for a fight, for anything to happen! I had spent too long hiding away in that giant, metal hell-hole, and I wanted nothing more than to feel free. I thought I would have been rid of that problem once I stepped foot into the forest, but with the lack of an actual plan of Zuko's to completely obliterate, I still felt trapped.

"UNCLE," a voice yelled, slicing through my fuming mind. "UNCLE, WHERE ARE YOU? WE'RE LEAVING."

I groaned, internally. I would have to go back to that damned ship. I swore it would one day be the death of me. I kept my eye on Zuko, however, as he stomped his way through the forest searching for his uncle. Unfortunately for my sensitive ears, he continued with his yelling.

"UNCLE. IT'S TIME TO LEAVE. WHERE ARE YOU? UNCLE IROH!"

"Over here," another voice called out. My brow quirked at the familiarity of his voice.

"Uncle?" Zuko's tone had turned confused, and my gaze slid over to the grey-haired man sitting in one of the area's natural hot springs.

My heart gave a sudden leap, as I realized just who it was that had spoken.

_Iroh! Oh, Spirits, how long it has been, old friend…I have missed you and Lu Ten dearly…_

There was a sudden lump in my throat, and I could already feel the prickle of tears behind my eyes. I quickly sucked in a breath, demanding my eyes to stay dry.

"We need to move on. We're closing in on the Avatar's trail, and I don't want to lose him," Zuko continued, sounding slightly exasperated.

"You look tired, Prince Zuko," Iroh started, "why don't you join me in these hot springs and soak away your troubles?" I smirked, shaking my head. He was the same as always.

"My troubles cannot be soaked away," Zuko retorted. "It's time to go!"

"You should take your teacher's advice, and relax a little. The temperature's just right; I heated it myself," Iroh said, trying to get his nephew to unwind. He then blew steam from his nose and practically created an outdoor sauna.

"Enough. We need to leave now!" Zuko dismissed the invitation with a wave of his hand, which, incidentally, also cleared the steam. "Get out of the water!"

"Very well," Iroh said as he stood up. I looked away, only then realizing that he was not clothed…at all. I felt heat rising to my cheeks, and for once, I was glad to be in a position where no one could see me.

"On second thought, why don't you take another few minutes? But be back at the ship in half an hour or I'm leaving without you!" I glanced over to Zuko, who had shielded his vision from Iroh's naked form with his hand. He then stormed away.

"Aaaahhhh," Iroh sighed. I looked back to him, glad to see his lower half submerged in water once again.

I contemplated briefly over whether I should follow Zuko or stay with Iroh, and came to the conclusion that, even though all I wanted was to stay away from that metal contraption for as long as possible, I knew Zuko was my responsibility. Or at least, destroying his attempts at catching Aang was my responsibility. So I followed Zuko back in the direction of the ships.

I stalled going back into my hiding place. I figured that Zuko wouldn't ever dare leave his uncle behind, so I wouldn't actually have to do anything until Iroh came back.

Instead, I lurked in the shadows, patiently waiting and watching. I knew that for the time being, I didn't have to be so alert, but I was hesitant to let my guard down, even in the slightest. But I forced myself to do it anyway, and I let my mind wander. I shouldn't have been surprised, though, when memories from my childhood came bubbling up from an area of my thoughts untouched for years, nearly forgotten.

* * *

_It was quiet on the grounds. I sat on the ledge of the fountain in the inner courtyards of the Fire Nation palace. My father said he had a lot of business to take care of with Fire Lord Azulon, and he would be gone for a few months. He said that I should come along, try to make friends. He told me that the Fire Lord had a grandson and granddaughter, both just a bit younger than I was. I only went with him because I knew he felt he was the reason I was so isolated. He wanted to give me something to make up for the mistakes he made up in his own mind._

_He instructed me to tell anyone inside the Fire Nation who asked that he was my Uncle Hairo and that I was visiting from the colonies. And absolutely_no one_was to know about my secret gift, my earthbending. He also said, though, that just because we would be visiting the royal family did not mean that I had to be anyone other than myself. That I would make friends fast because of my personality and ability to make others smile._

_And so, there I was. Sitting and observing, waiting for nothing in particular._

_I watched as two girls practiced tumbling. One had black hair tied up into the traditional Fire Nation bun, wearing red clothes with black and gold accents. The other had dark brown hair pulled up into a single pony-tailed braid, and she wore pink. Another sat at the base of a tree, her black hair set in an interesting fashion, blunt bangs adorning her forehead, and red ribbons in her hair. She, too, wore black and red. They were younger than I was, and probably connected to the royal family somehow._

_The first girl proceeded to go into a cartwheel, but she fell to the ground with a small grunt before she could complete the full flip. The girl in pink did the same as the first, only she finished the flip, landing perfectly on her feet, arms raised in the air. The first girl was not happy, though, and pushed her to the ground, laughing._

"_Azula!" the girl cried out from the ground. I hadn't noticed that I'd been smiling until I frowned that the laughing girl._

What a terrible child, this Azula, _I had thought. But then again, I was not one to judge, seeing as I was only a child myself._ Wait, isn't Azula the name of Fire Lord Azulon's granddaughter? Huh…

_When the other girl got up from the ground, Azula whispered something into her ear. She then ran over to a woman walking with a young boy. The woman wore the royal robes of the Fire Nation, and the young boy had his hair up into a high ponytail, wearing traditional Fire Nation garb similar to Azula's._

"_Mom," Azula whined, "can you make Zuko play with us? We need equal teams to play a game!"_

_The boy leaned forward, grabbing the railing._

"_I am_not_cartwheeling," the boy, Zuko, said firmly._

"_You won't have to. Cartwheeling's not a game," Azula retorted. I thought I heard her say something else, but I couldn't quite hear what it was. I'm almost certain it was an insult, though._

"_I don't care! I don't wanna play with you," he responded._

"_We are brother and sister. It's important for us to spend time together. Don't you think so, Mom?" Even though she had her back to me, I could just imagine the angelic look Azula no doubt had plastered to her face as she looked up at her mother._

"_Yes, darling, I think it's a good idea to play with your sister," she said, leaning down address Zuko specifically. "Go on, now," she told him, ruffling his hair slightly. "Just for a little while." She then walked away._

_The boy sighed, walking over with his sister to the other two girls._

Well, this could be fun to watch,_I thought, smiling to myself. They settled in a spot couple yards in front of me. Apparently, I had still gone unnoticed, but I didn't mind._

"_Here's the way it goes," Azula started, plucking an apple from the tree the odd girl was sitting beneath just a few moments ago, setting said apple on said girl's head. "Now what you do is try to knock the apple off the other person's head. Like this!" She ran a few feet away, and then bended fire at the girls head, causing the apple to light up like a match. Zuko ran forward to knock the apple off, and when she realized he was running straight at her she let out a frightened yelp, jumping out of the way. The apple flew from her head and landed directly in my lap, much to my surprise._

_I looked up to see the shocked expression on Zuko's face before I realized he was running to fast to stop. My muscles stiffened, waiting for impact._

_The next thing I knew, I was sitting in water, completely soaked. I was also very away of something particularly heavy laying on me. I opened my eyes when I heard laughter._

_Azula was cracking up, while her friend with the braid hid her smile behind her hand, fighting a laugh. And Zuko was sprawled across my lap._

Oh, how fantastic.

"_Ha! It wasn't what I had planned, but it's hilarious all the same," Azula cackled._

"_Aaww, they actually look cute together," the girl in pink giggled, pointing a finger at Zuko and myself. I flushed a deep crimson, as did the now silent girl with ribbons in her hair, though I assumed she was not the embarrassed one in this situation._

_Zuko quickly scrambled to his feet, stomping away in the direction of his mother, who was now walking toward us._

"_I was just coming to get you. Uncle Iroh sent us a letter from the warfront," then she paused, confused. "You're soaking wet."_

"_Girls are crazy!" Zuko fumed, storming past her and into the hall._

_I returned my attention to the two girls still snickering in front of me. The third girl simply glared at me._

_I shuffled to my feet, wiped the imaginary dust of my front, shrugged my shoulders, and set off to find another hallway._

_I shivered as I walked down the empty corridor, hoping to run into my father, or someone who could take me to him. I kept my head down, watching the water drip from my nose to the floor. I turned a corner, and, of course, bumped into a complete stranger._

"_Oh, excuse m-me, I'm s-sorry!" I squeaked, my teeth chattering. I had been embarrassed for the second time that day._

"_Hello, there, little one," a young man said. He looked down at me, and smiled. I could see a twinkle in his eyes, and I decided right then and there that I liked him. I gave a small smile in return, and then he quirked an eyebrow._

"_Funny, I don't seem to recognize you. Are you a friend of Azula's?" He asked. "Or maybe Zuko's?"_

_I shook my head lightly._

"_N-no, I'm here w-with my f-f-," I paused a moment, and sneezed, thankful I hadn't finished my sentence. "M-my Uncle H-Hairo," I finished._

"_Ohh! I know Hairo, he is a very good man," he said, his face lighting up with understanding. Then his expression turned concerned. "You're drenched. Let's get you to a place where you can clean up, okay?" He asked, giving me a crooked grin._

"_Ok-kay, thank you," I replied, smiling politely._

"_Alright. By the way, my name's Lu Ten." He smiled again._

"_I-I'm Auna."_

"_What a lovely name! Here, come with me. You must be freezing." He took my hand, and led me to a room filled with women doing laundry. The room was huge, and there was steam everywhere, and rows of tubs for washing, and shelves upon shelves of new and freshly cleaned clothes._

_I stood there, stock still, my mouth in a small, open "o." Lu Ten laughed lightly beside me._

"_Yeah, that's most people's reaction on their first tour of the palace," he sent me an amused look. I blushed for the second time that day._

"_I've n-never seen a r-room s-so big," I said, sheepishly. I rubbed the back of my neck with the hand Lu Ten currently wasn't holding. My teeth were still chattering, and my shoulders were shaking. Lu Ten spoke to the nearest woman._

"_Hello, could you find some new garments for this young lady to wear please? Preferably something to keep her warm," he added, winking down at me._

"_Of course, right away, Your Highness," she replied, bowing draping a large dry towel over my shoulders and rushing off to find me some clothes. My brow popped up in confusion at the title._

"_Wait…what?" I muttered, cocking my head to the side, looking up at Lu Ten._

"_I am the son of Fire Lord Azulon's first born son," he explained._

"_Oh…so does that mean you'll be Fire Lord someday?" I timidly asked. Lu Ten gave me a big grin._

"_Heh, I hope so! I'd really like to be the Fire Lord when I'm older."_

"_I think you'd make a good Fire Lord," I said absentmindedly. He chuckled._

"_And what makes you say that?" I furrowed my brow as I thought of a reason that would make sense._

"_Well, you're really kind. You don't even know me, and you're helping me. Kindness, generosity, humor...these qualities are what set regular leaders and amazing ones apart, and they allow you to be human, and not just a Fire Lord. If you don't have the appreciation or the trust of your people, then it's not a nation with a great leader...it's a dictatorship. That, and I guess it's just an instinct," I concluded, shrugging my shoulders. After a moment of silence, I lifted my eyes to Lu Ten's face, which had a peculiar expression on it._

"_You know, you're a very perceptive little girl," he mused, "much wiser from others your age." I shrugged my shoulders once again._

"_I kind of have to be," I stated simply. A small voice at the back of my head told me that I had said too much as Lu Ten pulled a curiously confused face. He opened his mouth to say something else, but was interrupted by the same woman he addressed earlier._

"_I've found some clothing that would be suitable for you, Miss. Now if you would come with me, please." The woman nodded her head in the direction she wanted to lead me, and smiled warmly. I smiled back. She then nodded at Lu Ten, who nodded back. He gave me another grin and a wink before I turned a corner and his face disappeared from view._

* * *

_For the next few weeks, I spent the majority of my time with Lu Ten. He would tell me stories of his time in war, how his father, Iroh, was one of the greatest generals in the history of the Fire Nation. He said he wanted to be just like him one day: wise, kind, and a great leader and teacher. He would also give me lessons in hand to hand combat._

"_When you don't have the ability to bend, you'll need every asset you can get, especially with this war…it doesn't seem like it will stop anytime soon," he told me one day after training, looking at the sky. I wanted so badly to tell him that I could bend, just not with fire. It made me feel horrible, keeping that secret from him. It was as though I was betraying him, turning my back on our friendship._

_I was so mad at myself, and I took no note to the heat rising inside me. My hands balled themselves into fists, and I felt like I was holding burning coal. Lu Ten turned back toward me to finish his thought._

"_But I'm sure you'll be fi- What th-? I didn't know you co-!" He was staring at me wide eyed, stammering and tripping over his words. I thought I had done something wrong, and all my anger disappeared. It was then I noticed the small flames jetting out of my clenched fists._

"_Auna!" he exclaimed. "You're a firebender!"I could feel my face scrunch up in confusion and then my eyes widen in horror. Lu Ten's eyes lit up in excitement as he scrambled to his feet. He took my hands and hoisted me up next to him. He knelt down to my height and placed both his hands on my shoulders._

"_You're a firebender!" he repeated. He kept shaking his head with this huge grin, like this new information was the best in the world, but I was still in shock. I was an earthbender! Not a firebender! It wasn't possible._

"_Come on! We have to tell someone about this," Lu Ten practically shouted, quickly standing. He took my hand in his and dragged me through the halls._

_The next thing that processed through my brain was that I was being enrolled in training for firebending. And I would be training with the royal family._

* * *

_My father was in shock when he found out. I thought he had stopped breathing for a few moments. After I called his name and shook his shoulder a few times, he got the same look on his face Lu Ten did when he first discovered my ability._

_It had been a few weeks since I had started the lessons, and my technique was already improving greatly. The only problem? I couldn't control the fire once it flew out of my hand. I had already destroyed half the grounds used for lessons, and I was the newest addition to the class. Still, I managed to beat every person pitched against me, and that included Azula, the Fire Nation princess and firebending prodigy. It wasn't that I was better than any of them, not in the slightest. I could just_tell_what their next move would be. I didn't know how I could, but it helped cover up the fact that I couldn't bend worth anything, and that was enough for me._

_Even with my lack of control of fire, all the students in the same class as me respected my talent and focus in a battle, even if it was just in class. All of them, except Azula. She hated me with a fiery passion, which made absolute sense._

_Zuko, on the other hand, took quite a liking to me the first time I beat his sister one day in a practice duel. From that day on, we were inseparable, and if ever we were apart, I was glued to Lu Ten's side. Whenever Zuko weren't in class, we would run around the grounds, playing tag, and hangout with or pulling pranks on Lu Ten. On occasion, Ty Lee, Azula's friend who wore pink all the time, would join us, much to Zuko's chagrin. I thought she was nice enough, even if she was friends with Azula. Her other friend, Mai, though, did_not_like me whatsoever. Not that it really mattered to me. I would just ignore her hateful glances and cold glares, and go on messing around with Zuko._

_One day, Zuko and his mother were running small errands together for Ozai, which left me alone with time to think. I wandered through the gardens just outside of the palace, admiring the flowers and trees. I was crouched down on my knees, staring at a small bug crawling along the dirt. I didn't see the shadow looming over me until it was too late, and I was being lifted high into the air._

_I yelled out in surprise, sudden fear gripping my mind, until I heard a familiar laughter ring through my ears._

"_Luuuuuuuuuu! Not faaaaiiiiiirrr!"I cried, still being rocketed through the air. Lu Ten just laughed. After a few moments of the two of us cracking up, he set me down. I was still catching my breath as he chuckled, ruffling my hair. Then his expression turned somber._

"_Auna, there's something I need to talk to you about." His voice was solemn, and the smile on my face faded into a look of confusion. I had never seen him so serious before. He gave a small sigh before lifting me up once more and set me on his shoulders, like he had done so many times before. I wrapped my arms around his forehead, and he began to walk slowly, not saying another word. After a couple minutes of listening to the light breeze blowing through leaves, he broke the silence._

"_As the eldest grandson of the Fire Lord and the son of a general, I have responsibilities that must be taken seriously," he started. Drawing in a shaky breath, he continued. "I'm going to have to go away for a while, Auna."_

_My chest tightened up, but I couldn't really understand why._

"_What do you mean, go away? Where are you going? For how long?" The questions flew out of my mouth before I could even try to stop them. I heard him sigh once more before he spoke again._

"_I'm going back to fight in the war. My father needs me to be there for him as he tries to conquer Ba Sing Sei. I'm not sure how long I'll be away for, but it won't be returning anytime soon… " Lu Ten's voice trailed off, as though he was trying not to think of something far worse than how long he would be at war for._

"_But…but you are coming back, right?" I asked. Silence. "Lu Ten? Please say you'll come back…" I could feel tears stinging my eyes, and a lump had formed in the middle of my throat._

_Lu Ten had stopped walking, and gently brought me down from his shoulders. He went down on a knee, and looked me straight in the eyes. I could see the tears threatening him as well._

"_Auna, war is unpredictable. It would be impractical to try and predict the outcome of battle." His expression was melancholy, and I frowned at it. I brought my hands to his face and lifted the corners of his mouth, making him smile. He let out a breathy laugh at my actions. I opened my mouth and said one word._

"_Promise." Lu Ten's brow furrowed, confused by my statement._

"_Promise what?"_

"_Promise you'll come back. Promise you'll do everything it takes to come back so we can still be best friends." His eyes softened and he grabbed my hands in his, pulling them from his face. He kept a small, sad smile on his lips, though._

"_Auna, I will always be your best friend, no matter what happens. I promise you that."_

_He left that night._

* * *

_I sat beside Ursula, Zuko's mother, right in front of the fountain. We watched as Zuko and Azula chasing each other and laughing. She sat on a small chair-like object with her hands folded in her lap, always the vision of grace, while I sat on the ground with my legs crossed, gently plucking grass from the lawn. It was the only time I had seen them get along. Ursula and I had been talking about how nice it would be when Lu Ten and his father, General Iroh, finally came home from the war._

_As if on cue, one of the palace servants walked over to where we were seated. He kneeled and handed Ursula a parchment roll. She took it, and stood as she read it. After a short moment, the parchment dropped from her hands, and tears rolled down her cheeks. Zuko stopped whatever game he was playing with Azula and rushed to her to see what was wrong. I was still seated next to her standing figure when Ursula gave me a heartbreaking look before turning back to her son._

"_Iroh has lost his son," she said simply. "Your cousin, Lu Ten, did not survive the battle."_

_Once she had spoken those words, my world came crashing down. I couldn't breathe, and I felt so lost and confused. Lu Ten, my Lu, wouldn't be coming back._

You should have promised!_I thought, angrily punching the ground._If only you had promised to come back! Then you would have, and it wouldn't be like this…why? Why you, Lu?

_All I could do was sit there, and punch the ground, even when Zuko came over to comfort me._

"_I know you guys were really close," he had said. After what seemed like an eternity to me, I finally looked up to his face and I saw an emotion that was completely foreign to me. It was long forgotten, though, as Zuko firmly wrapped his arms around me, pressing his face into my hair. I could hear each of his small sobs, every little sniffle._

_And yet, no matter how much I had wanted to, I could not bring myself to cry._

* * *

_Not long after that day, General Iroh returned from the siege, broken over the loss of his only son._

_I couldn't blame him. I can't say I wasn't changed by it. I had become colder to everyone, including my parents. I didn't completely shove them aside, I just secluded myself. I even tried getting some space from Zuko, but he wasn't about to let that happen._

_The day his uncle came back, we were lying side by side on the grass where everything had happened. The place we first met, where he, Lu and I would play games, and the same spot where we found out Lu Ten had died. We had done absolutely nothing all day, except look at the clouds and listen to the wind blow through the leaves, which only made me think of Lu Ten more._

"_Do you wanna play tag?" he asked._

"_No."_

"_How about we pull a prank on Azula?"_

"_No."_

"_Play hide-and-seek inside the palace?"_

"_No."_

"_Go swimming?"_

"_Spirits, no."_

_He sighed, grabbing my hand. I could practically hear his thoughts forming inside his head. He made a few clicking noises with his mouth before speaking again._

"_I think I know what we can do. We can go get you some tea." He pushed himself to his feet, still keeping his grip on my hand. He pulled me up with him, and marched forward._

"_Why would I want to get some tea? Zuko, this is incredibly stupid." Instead of listening to me, he just kept walking. He dragged me across the grounds, and through the halls of the palace. A long while later, he stopped in front of a door, turning to look back at me._

"_Okay, we're here." He gave my hand a light squeeze. "I promise, this will be one cup of tea you will never forget." He flashed a crooked grin at me before opening the door and pulling me into the room._

_Once inside, a strong aroma hit my nose and made my mouth water. I was immediately calmed and soothed by it. An older man was sitting at a small table, a beautiful china tea pot and matching set in front of him. He was humming a tune I knew I had heard before…it sounded a lot like the lullaby my mom used to sing to me whenever I couldn't sleep. He had tear tracks on his face, and his eyes were red and puffy. He looked like he was on the verge of crying again, tears pooled up at the bottom of his eyes._

"_Uncle," Zuko spoke, breaking the man from his thoughts. "Uncle, I think my friend here could use some tea, and you are the best at making it." He led me by the hand to his uncle's side, and when the old man turned to face me, I gasped and dropped Zuko's hand. His eyes. They were Lu Ten's eyes._

"_Lu," I breathed. I was a wreck on the inside, but I still hadn't done so much as shed a single tear. The man was Lu Ten's father, Iroh, the great Fire Nation general he had idolized. Iroh's face shifted a few times and I could read the raw emotion. Confusion, sadness, anger, more sadness, and finally understanding. Even so, his face was void of a smile, and that made me frown._

_I stepped closer to Iroh, and brought my hands to his face, lifting the corners of his mouth, just like I had with Lu Ten. Fresh tears spilled from his eyes, rolling down his cheekbones and running over my hands._

"_You must be Auna. He spoke of you often." Iroh's eyes shone with gratitude, which confused me slightly. I don't know why he'd be grateful to me. But there was another emotion there, as well. The same one I didn't recognize in Zuko's eyes just the other day. Before I could even ask, though, Iroh was pulling me into a giant hug. We stayed like that for a while, and then Zuko coughed awkwardly._

"_So, should we all get some tea now?" he asked timidly. Iroh pulled away slightly, looking down at his nephew, giving him a small, sad smile._

"_Yes, I think some soothing jasmine tea would be beneficial for all of us." Iroh was calm, but I could still hear the quiver hiding in his voice._

_In the weeks after that, I barely left Iroh's side, and Zuko was content to stay with me._

* * *

I stayed completely still in my spot in the bushes. How long had I been hiding here thinking about all of this? A few hours? I tried pushing all my thoughts aside, knowing they would only bring me more pain and suffering, but there they stayed, lingering at the back of my mind, waiting to torture me further.

I searched through the leaves for Zuko's face, and found him almost immediately. He looked pissed beyond reason. The ship was still in the same place, so I concluded that Iroh still hadn't returned.

_I bet he fell asleep._

"That's it! You two, come with me. We're going to get Iroh." Zuko yelled his commands, pointing at two of his cronies. He muttered and cursed under his breath as he stomped in the direction his uncle was in earlier that day. I, silently as ever, followed.

"Uncle! Uncle, where are you?" Zuko's voice rang out as the sky darkened into twilight.

"Sir," one of the soldiers started, "maybe he thought you left without him." Zuko looked around, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Something's not right here." As much as I hated it, I couldn't agree with Zuko more. As soon as we had come to the hot spring Iroh was in, it felt different to me…like the earth had shifted, and not of its own accord.

"That pile of rocks," Zuko observed, walking over to the side of the hot spring and looking down.

"It looks like there's been a landslide, sir," the second masked worker said.

"Land doesn't slide uphill," Zuko stated matter-of-factly. "Those rocks didn't move naturally. My uncle's been captured by earthbenders," he accused, sneering as he said his last word. I couldn't say his tone didn't hurt just a little, but I wasn't about to dwell on the fact.

If Iroh had been captured, I would stop at nothing to free him, even if it was at the hands of my kind.

_Ha, _my _kind_, I thought bitterly. _I am no one's kind. I'm a half-breed, a half-blood…I'm an abomination._

I followed as Zuko traveled on his rhino by himself through the woods and to a trail in search of Iroh. The sun rose in the sky, and we still carried on. I smirked to myself, thinking about Zuko's face if he ever found out that he never really was alone. He came to a sudden stop in the middle of the dirt road, and slid off his steed to walk over to something that had been dropped.

He picked up the worn out looking sandal and held it to his nose cautiously. He took a small whiff, and immediately cringed.

"Yep, that's Uncle Iroh," he said. I almost laughed…almost. I gave way to another small smirk, though. Without another word, Zuko threw the sandal in a bag and mounted the rhino, taking off once more.

After a couple more hours, we heard yelling and loud rumbling, like a landslide. Zuko's face contorted in confusion, then understanding. He jumped off his rhino, landing just as silently as myself. I gave a small twitch in irritation, but it passed just as quickly as it came.

I followed in the shadows as Zuko peered into a small canyon-like area. It was then that we heard voices; voices that weren't so friendly.

"These dangerous hands must be crushed," a hard voice declared. Then there was a grunt, and I felt the earth shifting, and I could only imagine the boulder this earthbender had just lifted. Still hidden by darkness, I, too, looked to where five Earth Kingdom soldiers surrounded Iroh, who was only wearing a flimsy loin cloth much to my dismay. His wrists were chained together by shackles, and they were placed on top of a large rock he was laying against. The boulder just previously bended by the first soldier hovered over his hands.

My face twisted in anger and disgust, eyes widening and nostrils flaring. Just when I was about to lose control of my anger and beat the ever living bison dung out of those guys, Zuko leapt through the air with a leg extended, kicking the boulder to the side just before it turned Iroh's hands into mincemeat. Then, he swung his leg over, bringing it down on the chain binding Iroh's wrists together with enough force to break it cleanly.

"Excellent form, Prince Zuko," Iroh commented, standing to his feet with a smug smirk of his own.

"You taught me well," Zuko replied, circling around to face the other benders, hands up and ready for the fight.

"Surrender yourselves," that same soldier called out. "It's five against two. You're clearly outnumbered."

"Ahh, that's true," Iroh began, "but you are clearly outmatched." His eyes snapped to the open spot between two of the soldiers in front of him, and my breath caught in my throat and my heart skipped a beat.

He was looking straight at me.

It was then I realized that although I had fooled Zuko and the rest of his crew, my skills were no match when compared to the great General Iroh. In that one second, I knew he knew everything…not just that I had been on their ship as a stowaway, but that I was on the run, that I was the real living legend of the Protector, that I was an earthbender, that I was a half-breed, and above all else: he didn't care about that. I could see the warmth and the smile in his eyes.

He was just glad I was okay.

The battle began, earth and fire flying everywhere. Whenever a stray rock got too close to either Zuko or Iroh, I would take care of it. I felt horrible, hiding and fighting, like I was kicking a turtle-duck while it was down. But that didn't matter; only Iroh's safety mattered.

When the last of the soldiers were knocked out, Zuko put a hand on his uncle's shoulder, giving him a smile before glaring at him.

"Now would you _please_ put on some clothes?" Iroh gave him a large, sheepish smile, and I had to cover my mouth with my fist, choking back the laugh that had bubbled up inside me. As they walked away, Iroh threw a look over his should in my direction, giving me a wink: his promise to me that he wouldn't tell Zuko about me. I nodded at him, but stayed where I was. A few moments here teaching the Earth Kingdom soldiers a lesson wouldn't hinder me from catching up to the two later.

After they were gone from my sight, I stepped out of the shadows. I heard the men groan as they awakened in their places. My eyes rested on the soldier in the center of the enclosed area, lying in a pile of rubble. With a forceful sweep of my hand, the debris was shoved away from him, and he sat up, confused. He looked around, then up, catching the brunt of my fierce glare.

"What the-" he began, but I cut him off, lifting my fist up quickly. This caused five columns of earth to shoot up from the ground, pushing each earthbender to their feet. Their hands shot up half a second later, sensing that I was their enemy.

Before they had any time to protest, though, I shifted my weight to one leg, bringing my knee up in front of me. My arms lifted from my sides, parallel with the ground. I moved my hands to look as though they were picking something up out of thin air, and at the same time, each soldier sunk neck deep into the ground.

As I walked away, I could hear their cries for help. Guilt wracked my chest until I loosened the fist at my side, causing the dirt surrounding the men to be loosened as well. They'd be able to escape within a couple of hours.

I sighed, hating how weak I was. I could never kill another living person. I couldn't even kill an animal for food!

The instant I thought the word, my stomach made a terribly loud noise that resembled the call of a gopher-bear.

_Right, food…_I started scavenging the woods for berries or fruits, and wasn't disappointed. When you're on the run for so long, you get used to going days without food. On the ship, I managed to sneak into the kitchen to eat the leftover scraps from the day's meals.

After eating berries to my heart's content, I caught up with Zuko and Iroh just before they reached the ship. Zuko turned to the rest of his crew before climbing back onto the boat.

"We will be staying here for the night. We are on the Avatar's trail, and I cannot afford to lose him." Instead of sounding like the most arrogant person in the world like usual, his voice was tired. I took a closer look, and saw bags under his eyes, and a grown look in his eyes, like he had seen so much, too much, in his short life.

Something inside me melted, and I had the sudden urge to run to Zuko, and wrap my arms around him; to comfort him just like he used to comfort me. All of the sudden, all I wanted was to be by his side, and hold his hand, and for things to be just like they were ten years ago.

I shook my head, clearing it of the momentary madness that had just overcome me.

_That was insane. Things will_never_be like they were…maybe all this travelling and remembering is making me go crazy._ I looked back to the small campsite, and saw men putting out the fire, clearing out and going back to the ship.

_There's no way I'm going back on that thing…_

I cleared away some twigs and dirt behind the bushes until I deemed it suitable enough for me to sleep on. Then I laid down, curling up in a tight ball on my side. As my consciousness drifted off, I pictured Zuko's face.

The last thing I remembered before succumbing to the land of nightmares and dreams was a single tear rolling from the corner of my eye, down my nose, and dripping to the ground.

* * *

**A/N: 16 pages in Microsoft Word and 7819 words.**

**Congratulations, dear reader, you have just finished the longest chapter I have ever written in my life.**

**This was the hardest thing I've ever had to write. Mostly because I'm basing Lu Ten off of the closest thing I ever had to a dad; he died after being shipped to Afghanistan and it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to deal with.**

**This chapter was really personal, and I hope you guys get a sense of just how much I'm putting myself out in the open by writing about it.**


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